How To Use App Streams

App streams are live streams of data ("firehoses") sent directly from pnut to developers' servers, to be parsed and used for end-users. Currently, the only connection option is through secure websocket.

This is the process of setting up an app stream:

  1. Create an app stream
  2. Set up a websocket server to listen with
  3. Create a connection and start parsing the firehose

Create a Connection

To connect to a websocket, you must put a valid app access token in the query string or the Authorization header, and app stream key in the query string.

wss://stream.pnut.io/v1/app
  ?access_token=[App Access Token]
  &key=[App Stream Key]

On successful connection, the API will send a message with a connection ID and the object types the stream is listening for.

{
  "meta": {
    "stream": {
      "key": "butterball",
      "endpoint": "wss://stream.pnut.io/v1/app",
      "object_types": [
        "block",
        "bookmark",
        "follow",
        "message",
        "post"
      ]
    },
    "connection_id": "84Epcmo0sQzEbWEVs5_NVH1povQZUTx4"
  }
}

The app stream will expect to receive a message back from your server on the websocket every 60 seconds or less, to keep the connection open. If it disconnects, you will simply have to reconnect and either track your position before a disconnect and backfill with regular API calls, or skip what was missed in between.

Streams "fire and forget"; they do not guarantee you will receive every message, or receive them in chronological order.

The stream objects attempt to return objects matching what would be returned when polling, with some differences for context.

If an object is being deleted, meta.is_deleted is included and set true.

Current limitations:

  • No filters; you can request a series of object types to receive, and will then receive all of those objects that the app is authorized to see.
  • You may only have two app streams in use at a time, per client.
  • Updating an app stream will not update any live websocket connections; you will have to disconnect and reconnect them.

Subscribers, Mentions, and Notifications

Messages include meta.subscribed_user_ids, which lists the users subscribed to that channel.

You may use the meta.suppress_notifications key included on posts, messages, and polls to be sure not to notify users of muted or blocked users.

Polls also include these fields when a poll is deleted or closes.

Miscellany

Connection Query Parameters

  • include_raw
  • include_post_raw
  • include_user_raw
  • include_file_raw
  • include_channel_raw
  • include_message_raw
  • include_bookmarked_by
  • include_reposted_by
  • include_marker
  • include_recent_message
  • include_html

Subscription Query Parameters

  • include_incomplete (files)
  • include_private (files)
  • channel_types
  • file_types
  • include_read
  • include_muted
  • include_deleted
  • include_directed_posts

Example Objects

channel

Sent when any channel is created or updated that any user is subscribed to and authorized your app access to.

{
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": 1534019819,
    "id": "22",
    "type": "channel"
  },
  "data": "...channel object..."
}

channel_subscription

Sent when any user who has authorized your app subscribes to or unsubscribes from a channel that they authorized your app access to.

{
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": 1534020228,
    "id": "22",
    "type": "channel_subscription"
  },
  "data": {
    "user": "...user subscribing to channel...",
    "channel": "...channel object..."
  }
}

message

Sent when any message is created or deleted from a channel that any user is subscribed to and authorized your app access to.

channel_type is included in the meta.

channel_name is included if the channel is a chat room (of type io.pnut.core.chat).

subscribed_user_ids is included on creation, but not deletion.

{
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": 1534019721,
    "channel_type": "io.pnut.core.pm",
    "id": "71",
    "type": "message",
    "subscribed_user_ids": [
      "1",
      "2"
    ],
    "suppress_notifications": [

    ]
  },
  "data": [
    "...message object..."
  ]
}

file

Sent when a user authorizes uploading a file, updates file details, uploads a file, or deletes a file.

{
  "meta": {
    "id": "349",
    "timestamp": 1534020233,
    "type": "file"
  },
  "data": "...file object..."
}

poll

Sent when any poll is created, deleted, initially responded to, or closed by any user that authorized your app access to it.

Polls also include meta.subscribed_user_ids and meta.suppress_notifications for app stream notifications when a poll is deleted or closes, and is_closed when it is closing.

{
  "meta": {
    "id": "450",
    "is_closed": true,
    "subscribed_user_ids": [
      "2",
      "6"
    ],
    "suppress_notifications": [

    ],
    "timestamp": 1534019819,
    "type": "poll"
  },
  "data": {
    "poll": "...poll object...",
    "user": "...user object..."
  }
}

post

Sent when any post is created, reposted, revised, or deleted.

Reposts will send the newly created or deleted repost and include repost_of in the post object.

Newly revised posts will include meta.revision.

Newly deleted posts will include meta.is_deleted.

{
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": 1534019640,
    "id": "2834",
    "is_deleted": true,
    "type": "post",
    "suppress_notifications": [

    ]
  },
  "data": [
    "...post object..."
  ]
}

bookmark

Sent when any bookmark is created or deleted.

{
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": 1534016710,
    "type": "bookmark",
    "id": "2836"
  },
  "data": {
    "user": "...user who bookmarked post...",
    "post": "...post object..."
  }
}

user

Sent when a user who authorized your app updates their profile.

{
  "meta": {
    "id": "1",
    "timestamp": 1534020365,
    "type": "user"
  },
  "data": "...user object..."
}

block

Sent when a person who has authorized your app blocks or unblocks another user.

{
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": 1534017755,
    "type": "block",
    "id": "6"
  },
  "data": {
    "user": "...user blocking another user...",
    "blocked_user": "...blocked user..."
  }
}

follow

Sent when any user follows or unfollows another user.

{
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": 1534017586,
    "type": "follow",
    "id": "6"
  },
  "data": {
    "user": "...user doing the following...",
    "followed_user": "...user being followed..."
  }
}

mute

Sent when a person who has authorized your app mutes or unmutes another user.

{
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": 1534017698,
    "type": "mute",
    "id": "6"
  },
  "data": {
    "user": "...user doing the muting...",
    "muted_user": "...muted user..."
  }
}

token

Sent when a user grants or revokes access to your app.

{
  "meta": {
    "timestamp": 1534020401,
    "id": "1",
    "type": "token"
  },
  "data": "...token object..."
}

user_presence

Sent when any user updates their user presence.

{
  "meta": {
    "id": "1",
    "timestamp": 1534020365,
    "type": "user_presence"
  },
  "data": [
    "...user presence..."
  ]
}

user_channel_presence

Sent when any user authorized for your app updates their user presence in a channel your app has access to.

{
  "meta": {
    "id": "18",
    "timestamp": 1534020365,
    "type": "user_channel_presence"
  },
  "data": [
    "...user presence..."
  ]
}